Driving mechanism.



A. W. ALTORFER.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION rlLED FEB.24.1913.

fi ,qggffo Patented May 29, 191'?.

Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. W. ALTORFER.

DRIVING MECHANISM.7

APPLICATION FILED FB.24. I9I3.

u A Patented May 2951917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M, @mi

surnoms lehrerin @union ALFHEUS W. MJTOEFEIR., @F JEANQKE, LQICNUIES, ASSIGNR T@ POWER WASHXNG' :MACHINE CQ., @1F IFEUREA, LLENEIS, A GURPORATQN @F JILLlINOS. l

reputation niet. sanitary ae, ieie.

To all 11i/tom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, Atri-inns W. heronrne, a citizen of the 1United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Woodford and State oflllinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin -Driving Mechanisms, of which the following is a specifdcation.

This invention has reference to a driving mechanism :for a washing machine and like structures, and includes actuating means :tor a wringer or similar device associated with said washing machine. l

The invention has for its principal object to improve the driving mechanism for washing machines, particularly that type oi machine driven by power, such tor instance, as

a gasolene engine, electric motor or similar.

power, as distinguished from a` handpower machine. y

The invention, improvement in the driving mechanism :tor washing-machines, in-

` cludes an underdrive, being the transmimion oie motion to the Y dolly l of the machine from the Vunderside ofthe machine, as distinguished from ia driving mechanism located or being disposed on the top oi the machine. l

For a further and full description `of the invention herein, and the merits thereof., and

'also to acquire a knowledge ci the details of construction of the means igor ehlectmg the,

result, reference is had to the following description and-drawings hereto attached.,

lffhile the essential and characteristic :Eeatures of the invention are susceptible of modication, still the preferred embodiment ci the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which l Figure l is an elevation, with parts in section, showing a washingmachine with my improved driving mechanism applied thereto, and also showing the actuating means for the wringer; I c

Fig. 2 is an elevation yof the devices shown in l4` ig. l, looking at the'right hand side ot lFig. l, parts in section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a trame for supporting certain parts ont the driving mechanism and with parts of the mechanism therenisrn shown .on the frame in 3;

Fig. 'is an enlarged sectional` detail as Specication of Letters Patent.

Fig. d is a side elevation of the mecha-Y ratenteainay ee, teit.

senat in. receta.

the same would appear it taken on the line l ymechanism l0, which may loe oi any approved construction, is preferably operated by the vertically disposed shaft il entending up through the bottom oit' the tub ot the machine, as best seen; in Fig. i. lllhe lower end of the shaft ll. is suitably journaled in the iframe part l2. Irllhis trame, includes the horizontally arranged portion i3, the` upwardly inclined portion lt and the oppositely disposed right-angle portions l5. 'llhe trame part i2 is secured to the washing machine, by fastening the inclined portion ML.

to the lower outside tace of the tub, as attriti, see lcigs. l and 2, and. the outer ends of the legs 9, see lligs. 2 and 3.

The horizontally arranged^portion i3 of .i

theframe part l2 is made in the iorm cfa [Ll-shaped channel bar, see Fig. 5, having the side danges i7 and i8 and said portion-i3 is vright-angle portionsl are secured to the also provided with theinwardly yeXtended llugs i9 and 20v and also with ribs 2l and 22 spaced from the side dange i7, see lBigs. 3 and said idange 17 and said rilos 21 and 22 "together, producing a conned passage-way iter a rack-bar 23.

@n the upper face of thetrame part l2 is provided a bearing 2t and on the underside are provided bearings and 26. The bearing 2l`receives a shaft to which is connected a gear-wheel 27. 'llhe bearing 25 receives a shaft 28, which `passes through and has a bearing in a bracket 29., secured to one of the legs 9, see Fig. l.

llhe shaft 1l extending up into the wash-V` ing machine, is operated .as follows-@u the lower end of the shaft il is ycarried a inion V and saidrpinion 30 is in mesh with the rack-har 23. The rack-bar 23 is provided with a laterally extended pin or stem 3l. to which is connected a pitman or reachand into inoperative position,

bar 32 and said pitmanor reach-bar has a pivotal connection at 33 with the gear-wheel 27. The rack-bar 23 rests and slides on the longitudinal extension 13 of the frame part 12 between the side ianges 17 and the ribs A21 and 22 and is held against upward movement by the plate 34 which overlies the rack-barand rests upon and is secured to the lugs 19 and 20 of said frame part 12. rlhe plate Vsaid shaft 28. rll`he hub or sleeve 37 of the pinion 36 is further provided with a grooved portion`40 in which is operatively carried the bifurcated end of a lever 41, which is employed for sliding the sleeve 37 and its pinion 36 on the shaft 28 to place said pinion 36 in meshing relation with said gearwheel 27 and for moving said pinion out of meshing relation with said gear-wheel 27 seen in Fig. 1. 42 to the body of lt is obvious that rFhe lever 41 is pivoted at the tub of the machine.

.when the pinion 36 has been moved into meshing relation with the gear-wheel 27, and if power is applied to the shaft 28 .that the gear-wheel 27 will be rotated, reciprocating the pitmanl or reach-bar 32 and impart an alternate forward and backward movement to the rack-bar 23, which in turn through its connection with the pinion 30 on the shaft 11 will impart anI alternate rotary movement to said shaft 11 and the dolly mechanism thereon. Moving lthe pinion 36 out of mesh`with the gear-wheel 27 stops the movement of the shaft 11.

rllhe Harige 17 of the frame-part 12 is out away or slotted, as at 43, see Figs. 3,'4 and 5 to provide for the movement of the lstem or pin 31 on the rack-bar 23, and when the parts are in operative position, the plate 34 .overlies the cut-out portion 43 to guard the stem or pin 31.

rlhe shaft 28 may be operated from any suitable source of power and by any well known means. However l have shown that it may be driven from a gasolene engine or suitable motor, belted to the shaft through a wheel 44,' shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and secured to said shaft 28, or said shaft may lar element, as ll shall now explain: 0n the shaft 28 is carried a sprocket wheel 45, connected by a sprocket chain 46 with a sprocket .pinion 47 carried bya shaft 48 journaled in the bearings 26 on the underside of the frame-part 12. @n said shaft 48 is also carried awheel 49 and said wheel 34 has a longitudinal groove 35- Vinl its under face tofreceive a part of the be driven by an electric motor or simi- 49 may be suitably belted to an electric Inoi tor 50, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and attached to or suspended from a support 51 for the motor; said support being preferably secured to the underside of the frame part 12.

Associated with the washing machine and driven from the same-shaft, as that employed for operating the dolly mechanism of the said machine, is a wringer mechanism, designated generally as 52. The wringer mechanism proper, is not unlike any of the standardmakes of wringers. rlhat is, it includes the frame 53, the rollers 54 and 55 suitably geared to each other, and the drip board56; The wringer 53 is swingably supported on lthe upper end ofv a vertically disposed shaft 57. rl`he shaft has a bearing atv its lower end in the bracket 29 and carries a bevel gear wheel 58 in mesh with andr adapted to 'be driven by a bevel gear wheel 59 carried on said shaft 28. Atits upper `end the shaft passes through and is journaled in the spaced bearings 60 and 61, being part of a bracket 62 secured to`the tub of the machine, in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To the wringer frame is secured a casting 63 having bearing portions 64 and 65, and said casting and its bearing portions are carried on the shaft 57 between the bearings 60 and 61 of the bracket 62. ln this manner thegywringer is swingably supported on saidsliaft 57 'llhe` object of swingably supporting the wringer, is to position the wringer in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that clothes or materials which have been treated in the washing machine may be readily passed through the wringer and deposited in a tub or rinse water placed alongside the washing machine, when the wringer may be swung away from the washing machine into a position at right angles to that shown, and the clothes and other materials taken from the rinse water and passed through the wringer to be deposited in a basket or receptacle.

To lockthe wringer in its adjusted positions l provide the upper part of the bearing 65 of casting 63 with the plurality of openings or holes 65a, see Fig. 8, and adapted to enter said holes is the locking pin 65h carried through an opening 61a in the bearing 61 of the bracket 62.

rllhe wringer actuating means will now be described. The shaft 54a of the wringer roller 54 passes through the frame 53 of the wringer and hasa bearing in the casting 63. On the outer end of the shaft 54a is carried a bevel-gear wheel 66 and adapted to be alternately thrown into mesh with said gear-wheel 66, are bevel gear wheels4 67 and 68. rlhese last mentioned wheels have extended sleeves 69 slotted as at 70 and pins 71 in the shaft'57 enter said slots. rllhe pins andv slots allow the wheelsro67 and 68 to be moved up and down on said shaft 57 but limit their movement. However,

said wheels 67 and 68 are adapted to be,

moved simultaneously and are arranged or so spaced that they mayy have a neutralfposition with reference to said wheel 66 or one or the other may be moved into meshing relation with said wheel 66 vfor the purpose of driving said wheel 66 and the wringerrolls, in opposite directions, as may he desired. 'ihe wheels -67 and 68 have grooved hubs 72 engaged by the shifting arms ofthe movable plate 73. Said plate 73 has a stud 74 which projects through and is movable inv a slot 75 in the bearing 65 ofv the" casting 63, to,which is connected the end of a lever l76. rllhis lever '76 is pivoted at 77 to the wringer frame 53 and extends across theA face of the wringer, see Fig'. 6, and its outer end is adapted kto engage in notches 78 in, a plate 79 secured to the wringer frame, for locking or holding the lever in adjusted position. To guide the movement of' the lower end. of the plate 73, said plate has a,V lug 80, see Fig. 6, movablein a slot 8l in the bearing 64 of the casting 63. Y

lin lF7g.:7 I-show a modified construction of the gearingv for actuating the wringer.

rolls. The lshaft 57, the shaft 54a and the gear-wheel' 66 are the same, but instead of using gears 67 and'68 which are slidable on the shaft 57, li employ -bevel gear wheels 82,-

and 83 which are loose on the shaft 57 and 'f in constant mesh with the gear wheel 66 and interposed between said wheels 82 and 83 is a clutch member 84 which is feathered on the shaft 57 andhaving clutch faces 85 and^ 86 adapted to be alternately moved into clutch relation with clutch faces 87 and 88 on the respective wheels 82 and 83. The clutch member 84 is adapted to be shifted by the lever 76, which in this instance has a yoke 7 Gaengaging in an annular groove 86 in said clutch member 84. ,Y 'What l, claim,is:-

Lin a dINing mechanism, in combination, a machine, an operating. shaftdisposed vertically and centrally of said machine, a pinion on the lower end of said shaftarack bar `fin meshl ywith said pinion, a driving shaft, gear Wheel slidably keyed onL said shaft, a second gear wheel with whichsaid gear wheel'on the, .driving shaft may be `moved into and out of meshing relation, and

a pitman connected at'one end with said second gear wheel andhaving its opposite end connected with said rack-bar.

2.V lnfa driving mechanism, in combination; a machine, an operating shaft disposed vertically and centrally of said machine, a

' pinion on the lower end of said shaft, a rackbarv in mesh withV said pinion, a driving shaft, a gear wheel slidably keyed onl said shaft, a-lever for moving said gear wheel,

a second shaft, a gear` wheel thereon with ,das I ',f t

may be moved into and out of meshing relation, and a pitman connected at one end with said second gear wheel and having its opposite end connected with said rack-bar.

3. lin a driving mechanism, in combination, a machine, an operating shaft disposed .vertically and centrally of said machine, a pinion on the lower end of said shaft, arackbar in mesh with said pinion, a driving shaft, a gear; wheel slidably keyed on said shaft, a second gear wheel with which said gear wheel on the driving shaft, may be movedy into and out of meshing relation, a pi'tman connected at one ,end with said second gear wheel and havingA its oppositeend lconnected with said rack-ban'and operating connections for said driving shaft, including/ a sprocket wheel on the driving shaft, a sprocket pinion and a sprocket chain connectionvbetween `said sprocket wheel and said sprocket pinion, andv means ,for operating said sprocket pinion. Y

4. lin a driving mechanism, in combination, a machine, an operating' shaft vertically arranged in said machine, a gear wheel on the lower end of 'said shaft,` a driving shaft, a gear wheel slidably keyed on said shaft, and having a grooved hub, a lever pivoted Onsaid machine and engaging inJ the groove .of the hub of said gear wheel, a second shaft, a'gear wheel on said second shaft with which the gear wheel on the driving shaft may bemoved'intoand vout of meshing relation, a rack-bar meshing in said gear wheel on lthe operating shaft, a pitman which said gear wheel on the driving shaft connected at one end with said second gear "machine body and-said extensions secured to certain of said legs, 1an operating shaft journaled through thebottom of said ma-4 chine body and itslower end having a bearing in said :main portion `of said frame support, a driving shaft, and mechanism for operating said operating shaft from said vdriving shaft, saidy mechanism including a vshiftable element for cutting said mechanism out of driving shaft. i, 6. lin a driving mechanism, in combination, a,- machine body, Vlegs supporting said machine body, a frame support comi prising a main portion and extensions therefrom, one end of said main portion se# cured to said machine `body and said extensions secured to certain of' said legs, an operating shaft journaled through the bottoni of said machine body land-its lower operating relation with said one end of said main portion secured to said end having a vbearing in said main portion of said frame support, a gear Wheel on the lower end of said operating shaft, a rack-bar slidable on said frame Support and meshing in said gear Wheel, guiding means on the frame support for holding the rack-bar in operative relation Withn said gear Wheel and guiding said rack-bar in its movement, a driving shaft and means for reciprocating said rack-bar from said driving shaft.

7. In a driving mechanism, in combinaAv tion, a machine body, legs supporting said machine body, a frame support comprising a main portion and extensions therefrom,

machine body and s aid\extensions secured to certain of said legs, anoperating shaft journaledthrough the bottom of "said machine body and its lower end having a bearing in port, a gear Wheel on the lower end of said operating shaft, a rack-bar slidable on said frame support and meshing `in said gear Wheel, guiding means on the frame support for holding the rack-bar inoperative relation with said gear Wheel and guiding said rack-bar in its movement, a driving shaft,

a gear Wheel slidably keyed on said driving shaft, a second gear Wheel with which the said main portion ofl said frame sup.

supporting said machine body, a frame support comprising a main portion and eX- tensionstherefrom,one end .of said main po'rtion secured to said machine body and said extensions' secured to certain of said legs, said main portion of said support having a side flange cut away for a portion of its length and also having spaced ribsproducing a confined guide-Way for a rack-bar. a rack-bar movable in said confined guide- Way and having a stem operable through the cut away portion of said flange, means for holding the rack-bar against raising during its reciprocatory movement, a shaft journaled in said main portion'of said support, a gear wheel on said shaft in mesh with said rack-bar, a pitman bar connected 'to the stem of said rack-bar, and rotary means for operating said pit-man bar.

In testimony whereof l aliix my signature, in presence of' tivo Witnesses.

' ALPHEUS W. ALTORFER,

Vitnesses:

MILDRED F. BoMAN, PEARL M. COPELAND. 

